At Farnborough Hill, we aim to equip each girl with the skills she needs to study confidently and be comfortable in the school environment. All pupils have areas of particular strength and some may have areas where additional support is indicated. For those pupils with mild learning needs who may require some specialist support in their academic journey, Farnborough Hill offers both 1-1 and small-group teaching, as appropriate.

The Learning support journey begins at the enquiry stage, during which you may request an informal meeting with our Head of Learning Support. Our registration form allows you to detail any support needs and we ask you to include any diagnostic reports, medical or otherwise which will help us to understand your daughter’s profile. In order to support our pupils with an LS diagnosis, we build up a Pupil Passport, providing clear information for all their staff on bespoke adjustments to be made to support them effectively in the classroom. Progress is carefully tracked and the Pupil Passport profile is reviewed each term, with strategies and interventions being adjusted as necessary. We measure progress and success through testing and examination results, with certificates and awards being made to acknowledge good progress. 

Our central Learning Support register has a three-stepped approach to support: monitoring, diagnosis and intervention. Wherever a pupil currently sits within this register, we encourage all girls to learn to take responsibility for their learning and we teach them the individual techniques they need in order to thrive and flourish.

We know that learning needs can become apparent at any stage and so a referral can be made to our Learning Support Team whenever there is a cause for concern expressed by parents, teachers or the pupil herself. Our LS team is well-connected with external sources of specialist support, including educational psychologists and an autism consultant, which can be accessed if necessary. Medical, psychological and cognitive concerns are all treated with the same level of support and access arrangements are put in place as required.

EAL support is available in school, at an additional charge, and can be accessed for as long as your child needs it.

Farnborough Hill has built a reputation as a centre of excellence for Learning Support, delivering an annual training programme for SENCOs and offering JCQ-specific training on access arrangements for schools in the area.

A copy of the school’s Learning Support Policy is available here. Please do get in touch with the Registrar if you would like to arrange a meeting with our Head of Learning Support.